Can't Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover
by Comickazi13
Summary: Devon is a slightly chilly bookworm who is in love with Sigmund the Sorcerer. But, Sigmund is in love with Jessica. Will he ever see the shy, loving girl beneath Devon's cold exterior? Set in the Fanboy & Chum Chum universe that Jessica12357 has created.
1. Dwelling

**A/N: This short little story is an introduction to a new character that I might be working with in the future. She is in the Fanboy and Chum Chum universe that Jessica12357 has created in **_**Fanboy and Chum Chum and Jessica Too**_**. Here's a short bio on her.**

**NAME: Devon**

**HAIR COLOR: Dark green**

**EYE COLOR: Brown (almost black)**

**HOBBY: Reading/collecting books**

…

Devon relaxed in the tiny café. She kicked her feet up on a table and admired the charcoal-black army boots that were laced tightly to her feet. The toes gave off a faint shine in the light. Carefully, she reached into her book bag and pulled out a copy of _The Scarlet Letter_ by Nathanial Hawthorne.

Most people would say that if Devon stopped being such a tomboy, she'd actually be extremely attractive. Her green hair was glossy and fell in waves around her shoulders, but she kept it messy to the point where it was covering her face. Her eyes were dark and always held a mystery in their depths.

Her slender frame was gently curved by her hips and chest: enough to be attractive, but not enough to scream "I HAD A SURGERY TO MAKE ME LOOK THIS WAY!" However, Devon took it upon herself to wear some of the most unflattering clothing possible. Today, she was wearing regular blue jeans which had to be tightened to her waist by a brown, leather belt; a loosely-fitting, no-pattern, red T-shirt; and a black, baggy jacket which had no zippers or buttons to do up the front. Of course, her army boots were also added to this ensemble.

Devon also had a dazzling smile, but she rarely used it, preferring to smirk whenever she was pleased about something or sneer when she wasn't. Her piercing sarcasm and wit made it difficult to get to know her. She much preferred her books and thought that anyone who wasn't in one of her leather-bound volumes wasn't worth her time.

Of course…there was that one exception. The one person who could distract her attention out of a novel for more than three seconds, the singular being who she deemed worthy to labor the most intense affections upon: Sigmund.

Devon hadn't originally liked Sigmund. She thought he was annoying, like everyone else, and that he was a bragging brat who would kick and scream if he didn't get what he wanted. But, as time slipped past like sand in an hourglass, she began to see how attractive he was and how much he was like the men in her books.

His sleek, silvery-white hair that transcended age and manifested itself in his youth; the sharpened, beaver-like teeth with an even sharper tongue lurking behind them; his past, dark and unexplainable as the most romantic of heroes…Everything about Sigmund was perfect to Devon.

As she read about Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne, she pictured Sigmund and herself playing the parts: Sigmund the tortured soul, madly in love with the one who has sinned alongside him and yet powerless to tell anyone, who holds his hand over his heart to conceal the scars of his guilt.

Devon's spine tingled at the very thought of it as she flipped through the dusty pages of her book. Her eyes may have been reading the print, but her mind was at work creating fantastic imaginings between her and her love. How she longed for him to enter the café and tell her that he had loved her this whole time and wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her close!

But, no, Sigmund's heart belonged to another. And the girl who owned his affection was the object of Devon's most passionate hatred. Outwardly, she was friendly with this other girl. But inside, her emotions raged like a stormy sea at the mention of her very name.

The door jingled open and Devon looked up to see a couple enter the diner. Her blood seethed at the sight of the girl Sigmund desired. Even though this girl despised Sigmund and even had another beau, Devon could not help but grit her teeth at the thought of her love and this intruder locked in an embrace.

"Devon!" called the other girl, waving and smiling good-naturedly.

Devon snapped out of her thoughts and waved by way of saluting lazily with three fingers. She stood up from her table and wandered over to the couple, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

"Hello, Jessica," she said softly. "Hello, Kyle."


	2. Obsessing

The library was always her place of solace. As Devon wandered through the aisles of books, she ran her index finger along the spines. The plastic covers crackled at her touch and as the books got thicker, the crackle became deeper and more satisfying to Devon's ears. She had already gathered an armload of books to read over the weekend, so she checked them out and walked out of the library.

Oz, the vintage comic book/toy store owner, was taping a blue poster to the window. He took one look at Devon, smiled sheepishly (he had never felt comfortable around her since she read _War and Peace _by Tolstoy in one week), and whistled as he hurriedly passed. He checked over his shoulder before taking off into a run.

Devon rolled her eyes and looked at the poster before gasping and grabbing it off the window. There, below the letters spelling out his wonderful name, was a picture of Sigmund conjuring a turtle while decks of cards, chains, and a top hat swirled about him. He was coming back to Galaxy Hills to do another magic show! Devon clutched the picture to her heart and stuffed it in her book bag along with the volumes she had picked up at the library.

She rushed home and flung open the door to her room. The walls were lined with bookcases that were so full that some books had to be stacked on Devon's dresser and nightstand. There were boxes of books on the floor that needed to be recorded into the systematic card catalogue that she kept in the gray, metal file cabinet in the corner.

Devon reached into her bag, took out the poster, and smoothed it out on her mattress. She smiled at the nice blend of colors between the blue paper and the green quilt. Quickly, she ran over to her dresser and selected two matching tacks from a jar and pinned the poster to the only wall that was not covered in shelves: the space right over her bed.

Stepping back to admire her handiwork, she smiled contentedly.

"Someday," she sighed to the poster, "you'll know how I truly feel about you."

And with that, she, again, reached into her bag. Retrieving a copy of _And Then There Were None_ by Agatha Christie, she settled on her bed and cracked it open. As she scanned the familiar opening lines (she had read this ten times, but hadn't found a suitable copy to purchase as of yet), she felt somewhat comforted knowing that the image of her love was watching over her.


	3. Changing

**DISCLAIMER! I do not own Jessica. Jessica12357 does. And you should go read her stories _Fanboy and Chum Chum and Jessica Too, New York New York, _and_ Awkward_... I think that's all of them. NO WAIT! There's _Confessions of a Lovesick Fanboy. _Anyways, go read 'em. Go comment. I'm sure she'd appreciate it!**

The days crept by so slowly until the day that the poster advertised. School was a buzz of energy. Mr. Mufflin's class seemed to be especially excited. Devon had a different classroom, so she didn't exactly know the same people. But she knew Kyle and Jessica, of course. She also knew the two class weirdos: Fanboy and Chum Chum. She had met them in past experiences that were too complicated to explain at this point.

Finally, the big day came. It was on a Saturday evening, so Devon had all the time in the world to worry about what she was going to wear. She may have been a tomboy and she wanted everyone to respect her for her choice. But if being careful in what she wore would attract Sigmund's eye, then she would do it without another word on the subject.

This baggy t-shirt with those baggy jeans? Too loose. This orange shirt with those black pants? Too Halloween. This tank top with that skirt? Why did she even _have_ this? Each possible outfit was thrown over her shoulder and onto her bed. Eventually, she chose her favorite black turtleneck sweater, the skinniest blue jeans that she had (they were maybe two years old and still sagged at the knees), and her usual combat boots.

Devon even brushed her forest green hair into a loose ponytail, hoping that Sigmund would catch a glimpse of her face in the crowd and think that she was beautiful. Most girls would have put on makeup, but she didn't have any and she so disliked the feeling of oils and powders on her skin that she wouldn't have even if she did own such cosmetics.

Just as she was about to head out the door, a knock sounded through her house. Devon opened the door to see two familiar faces and a face that she was acquainted with, but not quite comfortable around yet.

"Hey, Devon," Chum Chum greeted. "Are you going to see Sigmund's magic show?"

"Of course," Devon nodded. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Neither would we," Fanboy grinned. He gestured to the girl that was standing next to him. She was extremely skinny and had sandy-blonde hair. "I think you've met my girlfriend Tessa, right? Tessa, this is Devon."

"I think we've met, but we haven't really hung out," Tessa shrugged. She extended her hand and Devon shook it. "It's nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's mine," Devon mumbled. "Are we ready to go?"

"Absolutely!" Fanboy announced. He hooked his arm around Tessa's and led the procession down the street.

"Tessa doesn't believe that magic is real," Chum Chum explained. "But she really likes being entertained. She's a dancer. She's really good. One time, the three of us went to an amusement park and…" He chattered on and Devon listened patiently until they came to the large community center.

Tables with licensed merchandise lined the entryways of the building. Fanboy seemed enamored of it all while Tessa eyed the Sigmund the Sorcerer boxer shorts with a mild look of disgust on her face. Devon smirked. Even she had to admit that boxer shorts were kind of silly things to sell.

She hadn't brought any money though, so she pushed her way through the crowd to the seats. Kicking her feet up on the empty chair in front of her, she suddenly felt very exposed with her hair out of her face. She toyed with the idea of taking it out of the ponytail when the lights dimmed and the show began.

A puff of purple smoke appeared onstage and took on the shape of Sigmund the Sorcerer. Devon's heart caught in her throat at the penetrating gaze of Cloud Sigmund's eyes. Even when he wasn't actually onstage, he was still breathtaking.

When the mist evaporated, Sigmund stood onstage, posed in a low bow. His head shot up to look at the audience and he gave a lecherous smirk that made Devon go weak in the knees. Without saying a word, Sigmund snapped his fingers and a long golden scarf came whisking out of his pocket.

"Party trick," Tessa yawned. Devon chose to ignore her.

"For you, _mein libeling,_" Sigmund said with a flourish as he presented the scarf to someone in the audience.

Devon's eyes narrowed as she peered up the rows of seats to see Jessica rolling her eyes and rejecting the gift with the palm of her hand. Kyle had put his arm around Jessica protectively.

Devon wondered why Sigmund would waste his affections on someone who did not return them. Of course, she also found this ironic since she was guilty everyday of the same charge. She lowered her head and bit back the need to scream out her feelings to this theater full of people. Reaching behind her head, she untied the ponytail and let her hair cover her face again.


	4. Calling

Did she dare? Devon stared at the phone for a long time, pondering her options. On the one hand, she could forever go unnoticed by the boy of her dreams. She could live in utter torment for the rest of her life knowing that Sigmund would rather labor his affections upon Jessica than upon her. Devon knew in her heart that it would be the more difficult path.

Then, on the other hand, she could pick up the phone and dial the infamous number, the number that had been crammed in her closet ever since it had last been given to her. She thought she'd never have a reason to call it. In fact, Devon had hoped to sever all ties with the person at the other end of this phone number for the rest of her life ever since the incident. But, that person was the only person she knew that could help her get Sigmund's attention.

So it all boiled down to this one question: would she rather be in love with Sigmund and never have affections returned or would she rather go through emotional and possibly physical turmoil and get said affections in the end?

Devon took a deep breath and picked up the phone. She smoothed out the little scrap of paper and dialed the number.

It rang for a while.

"Yellow?" said a female's voice on the other end.

"Vienna?" Devon said softly. "It's me. Dev."

"_Dev_?" Vienna said in shock. "Oh my gosh! It's been so long. What's up, buttercup?"

Devon winced.

"Nothing really," she sighed. "Listen, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Lay it on me, sis!"

Devon paused for a moment, closing her eyes and laying back on her bed as she tried to calm herself. Having Vienna for a sister was a pain in the butt. Vienna was sixteen and went to a school in a different county, so she didn't live in Galaxy Hills. She was also pushy and pretty much everything that Devon was not. But, this included outgoing too.

"I'm having problems getting the attention of a boy I like," Devon confessed, holding her hand up to cover her eyes as she awaited the imminent explosion of glee.

"OH MY GOSH! YOU LIKE A BOY? FINALLY! I THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD NEVER COME! OH I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, SIS! OH MY GOSH! GIVE ME THE DETAILS! I WANT NAMES! I WANT DESCRIPTIONS! HAVE YOU ASKED HIM OUT?"

"His name is Sigmund. And you know what he looks like. You watch his show."

"SIGMUND THE SORCERER?" Vienna squealed. "Oh my gosh! I _love_ that kid! I can't believe my little sister has a crush on Sigmund the Sorcerer!"

"Yes, yes," Devon rolled her eyes. "Can we get back to the point sometime this century?"

"Absolutely," Vienna giggled as she came down from her spaz attack. "So what's the deal, banana peel?"

Devon groaned and buried her face in her pillow. She didn't hate her sister, but she disliked her well enough to get annoyed with almost everything that Vienna said. But she remembered her mission and continued.

"So he doesn't really know I exist. There's this other girl who he likes, but she has a boyfriend. The point is I want Sigmund to like me instead. Can you help me?"

"Can I _help_ you?" Vienna all-but cackled. "Can a bird fly? Naturally I can help you! I remember when I was your age. I had at least seven boyfriends in one month! And I didn't ask out a single one of them." She paused to giggle. "I'll catch a bus and be over first thing tomorrow afternoon!"

"No! Wait! Vienna!"

"Don't you worry, Dev! I'll fix you up with your man! See you later, alligator!" Click.

Devon held the phone at arm's length as the dial tone sounded. Her mouth hung open and she began to panic. She slammed the phone down and screamed to the ceiling. It felt like her head would explode so she pressed her palms against her temples to try to keep her forehead from splitting. Finding the nearest hard-cover book, she began slamming herself in the face with it until it made her eyes cross and she knocked herself out.


	5. Beginning

Devon liked organization. She liked it so much that when she was a baby she had color-coded all her toys and then made sub-groups based on size.

Vienna did not like organization that much. Her room was the equivalent of a black hole; anything that went in had less than a five percent chance of coming back out in one piece.

Consequently, Devon now found herself in her room frantically putting sticky notes with "DO NOT TOUCH" scribbled on them all over her book collection. For her incredibly rare, vintage volumes, this went double. She vaguely remembered doing this once when Fanboy, Chum Chum, Jessica, and Kyle were coming over a long time ago for one of her schemes.

The truth was Devon had originally liked Kyle. She liked his accent, his red hair, his freckles, and his adorable way of getting angry whenever Sigmund showed up. Sigmund had enlisted her in his secret plans to get Kyle and Jessica to break up. Sigmund could have Jessica and Devon could have Kyle.

All Devon had to do was befriend Fanboy, Chum Chum, Jessica, and Kyle so they would trust her. Then, Sigmund and Devon would create situations that would put strain on Kyle and Jessica's relationship. And at first it seemed fool-proof.

But things kind of backfired a bit when Jessica convinced Devon that Sigmund was really the better catch.

Devon madly scribbled and posted sticky notes until there was a knock at the door. She froze and slowly walked to answer it.

Vienna was insanely pretty and flaunted it. She had crazy curves; a tiny waist; luscious, black hair; big, perfectly pouty lips; long, dark eyelashes; and better sense of fashion than anyone else Devon knew.

Her ensemble for the arrival was a tight, blue denim mini skirt and a slimming, black tube top. Her hair flowed around her shoulders, but was tucked behind her ears to display the gigantic golden hoops in her lobes. The dark, stylish shades covered her emerald green eyes. Her platform sandals boosted her from 5'6" to a full 6 feet tall, which made her tower over Devon who only stood at 5'2". To top all this off, she was holding a suitcase that her sister desperately wished was not filled with the supplies enabling her to stay for longer than a day.

"DEV!" she squealed as she wrapped Devon in a suffocated embrace. "Baby sister, it's so good to see you again." Vienna clapped her hands together as she stepped inside. She whipped off her sunglasses and dropped her suitcase to the floor. "Now let's get to business." Vienna plopped down on the couch and crossed her legs. "What are your tactics?"

"Excuse me?" Devon said absently as she edged around the suitcase, trying to figure out a way to move it. But as soon as she yanked on the handle, she found that it was way too heavy for her to even pick up.

"Tactics," Vienna repeated. "What are you gonna do to get Sigmund's attention? What's your flirting style?"

"Flirting style?"

"Would you _please_ stop mimicking everything I say," the eldest sister huffed irritatedly.

"Mimicking?"

"Well, it's obvious we have a lot of work to do," Vienna rolled her eyes. She pulled the suitcase into her lap with ease.

"How did you…?"

"No time for questions," the romantically wiser girl said. "Let's get started."


	6. Revolting

"I really don't think this is going to work, Vienna," Devon scowled as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. "I look like a prostitute. And not even a classy one."

"Lemme see," Vienna's voice said from the other side of the locked door.

Devon unlocked it and stood awkwardly in the doorway. She was wearing pink high heels that made her gag, white short-shorts that made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and a white tank top that hugged her actually attractive curves which made her want to vomit.

And the outfit wasn't the worst. The worst was the makeup which had been done before she was forced to put on the outfit. Her eyelids had been covered in pink, sparkly eye-shadow and lined with thick, black eyeliner. Her eyelashes had been pulled at and curled before lacquered with mascara. An extreme amount of blush had been applied to Devon's pale cheeks which made her look like she was either trying too hard or she had a sun burn. Finally, she was wearing Vienna's _Feisty Kitten_ _Red_ lipstick.

"Aw, Dev, you look gorgeous!" Vienna gushed. "Now if only you'd show your teeth when you smile…Actually, if you smiled more often, that might help. Guys don't want to go out with worrywarts. They like girls who know how to have fun."

"How can I possibly have an ounce of fun when I look like a prostitute?" Devon shouted.

"Now what to do about that hair…" Vienna ignored her sister's outburst and pulled out a comb.

"Vienna!" Devon shrieked, clamping her hands down over her scalp. "It's fine! I want Sigmund to like me for me, not for what I look like! I think I asked the wrong person for help. Now if you would please get me some makeup wipes, I'd like to get this crap off my face!"

"And boys don't like girls who swear," Vienna snorted as she made _tsk, tsk_ noises.

"GET OUTTA MY HOUSE!"

"Fine. Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'll leave," Vienna backed out of the hallway and tossed a box of baby wipes at her sister. "Just think about what I said, okay? Maybe downsize on your books, by the way. Some guys aren't into the intellectual type."

"OUT!"

With that, the door closed and Vienna was back on her way to her own house.

"Thank God," Devon sighed as she walked back into the bathroom and began scrubbing her face with the baby wipes.

The makeup didn't come off as well as she would've hoped, but at least the insane blush and eye-stuff was gone. The mascara was smeared down her face and the lipstick had made a faint ring around her mouth, but other than that, she felt clean enough to go outside.

She was just on her way down the street to get better makeup remover when she ran into Fanboy and Chum Chum.

"Hey, Devon," Fanboy grinned. "Woah…You look different today. Did you do something with your hair?"

"I'm wearing…makeup…" Devon gulped. "It's…_disgusting_…"

"Tessa doesn't wear makeup either," Fanboy shrugged. "She's pretty naturally." He stared at her face for a while before consulting Chum Chum. "Do you think Devon looks better without makeup, buddy?"

"No doubt about it," Chum Chum nodded. "You look like an alien with that black stuff going down your face."

"An evil alien from the planet Zignork!" Fanboy yelled dramatically. The two superheroes cracked up before saying goodbye and continuing down the street.

"Well…" Devon thought out loud. "At least I know that Fanboy and Chum Chum think I'm pretty…" She shuddered and continued on her way to the convenience store.


	7. Stalking

Devon looked up at the poster that was still tacked above her bed and sighed. What made her think that her sister would be any help at all? The distraught girl grabbed a copy of _Dracula _by Bram Stoker and cracked it open, allowing all of her sorrows to be washed away by the story of gore.

But her mind would not let go that easily. Devon couldn't help but think that someone else might be able to help her get Sigmund's attention. Her brain poured over possibilities. Then, she thought of someone.

The next day, Devon practically ran to school in order to get there before the bell rang. She caught up with the black-haired girl in the brightly-colored outfit and tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, Yo?"

Yo whizzed around and squealed a bit. She, too, was a little nervous around Devon. But that was mostly because she thought Devon was Goth.

"Oh, hello, Devon," she whimpered nervously. "Can I help you?"

"As a matter of fact, I think you can," Devon nodded. "I want to get this boy's attention. I really like him and…"

"Is it Chum Chum?" Yo said, venom in her voice.

"What? No."

"Okay, then!" the girl chirped, happy that Devon wasn't after Chum Chum and that she wasn't going to kill her in her sleep. "So what do you know about this guy?"

"Uh…he…" Devon pondered this for a moment. Sigmund had so many qualities, but she actually knew very little about what he enjoyed to do. "He's kinda like Kyle…I mean, he does magic and things. And…he likes making fun of Kyle. And…um…"

"Maybe you should spend some time getting to know him," Yo suggested.

"So…talk to him? Hang out with him? Something like that?"

"That could work too," Yo grinned. "I was thinking more along the lines of following him around and observing what he does."

"…Isn't that stalking?" Devon said, eyeing Yo closely. She had heard about how Yo had the tendency to "follow" Chum Chum.

But, Yo just giggled and skipped away.

"That was pointless," Devon groaned. She slumped down against the wall and held her books to her chest. Bowing her head, she bit her lip and tried not to cry in frustration.

"Hey, Devon, what's wrong?" asked Chum Chum as he stopped in the hall to get a drink of water from the fountain.

"Nothing, Chum Chum," she sighed. "I'm having a bit of difficulty with a boy."

"Boy troubles?" Chum Chum questioned. "Well, I'm not exactly the expert on that kind of thing, but Fanboy knows a bit about girls. He has a girlfriend, you know."

Fanboy? The idea of Fanboy knowing anything about girls was purely laughable in Devon's opinion. In her mind, all Fanboy knew about were comics and action figures. But, still, Fanboy might know a little more about Sigmund. It was worth a shot.


	8. Timing

Her knuckles rapped on the wood of the door to the Fanlair and she waited patiently for the door to open. When it did, there was a happy-looking Fanboy inside. His face fell slightly when he saw Devon.

"Uh…Hi, Devon," he gulped. "Listen, could you maybe come back later?" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Tessa's over and…uh…we're having our 'alone-time' before Chum Chum gets home from the Frosty Mart with our Frosty Freezy Freezes."

Devon sighed and turned around to walk down the stairs.

"Okay," she said glumly. "I'll come back when you're not preoccupied." She must have looked incredibly downtrodden because Fanboy suddenly called out to her.

"Wait! Come in. Tessa and I have plenty of time to…have 'alone time.'"

Devon didn't really want to think about what Tessa and Fanboy were doing before she came over. Tessa was reclining on the couch and she waved.

"Long time, no see," she laughed. "What's up, Devon?"

"Nothing," Devon replied instinctively. She paused for a minute. If anyone in this room knew anything about boys, it would be Tessa. Tessa had snagged Fanboy, after all…even though that wasn't much of a catch in Devon's opinion. "Actually, Tessa, I have a little bit of a problem."

"Problem?" Fanboy chimed in. "What kind of problem?"

"A boy problem," Devon shrugged sheepishly.

Tessa looked slightly taken aback. She bit her lower lip and twirled her sandy-blonde hair around her index finger as she thought.

"Who's the guy?"

Devon cast a wary glance at Fanboy before answering.

"Sigmund…"

"I KNEW IT!" Fanboy laughed. He gave Devon a hug before continuing. "I could totally tell by the way you looked at him at the magic show! You were all like…" He made a face where he widened his eyes the widest they would go and slapped a silly grin on his face.

"Fanboy, be nice," Tessa admonished her boyfriend before turning her attention back to Devon who was now blushing, but hiding it behind her hair. "Well, Devon, have you talked to him?"

"Not for a long time."

"You should probably do that," Tessa nodded. "That's the best thing to do. Communication is key."

Talk to Sigmund? That was much easier said than done. Sigmund was so busy traveling that even figuring out where he was going to be at a certain place at a certain time was difficult, let alone figuring out when would be a good time to talk to him. The only person that Devon knew of that Sigmund would interrupt his tour for was Jessica. Wait…Jessica…

"I have to go," Devon announced suddenly. "Thanks for the advice, Tessa. I'll see you two around."

As she was closing the door, Devon heard Fanboy say, "So…Where were we?" slyly and Tessa giggle.

Talk about awkward…


	9. Planning

Devon took a deep breath as she stared at the door to Jessica's house. The jealousy inside her was raging. Why was she asking help from her enemy?

But, the logical side of her was saying, "It's not like she likes him back. She's in love with Kyle. Besides, she's the only opening you've got. And, believe it or not, she's your friend."

Raising a shaky hand, Devon knocked three times on the door. She waited and waited, biting her lip in anxiety. She desperately wished that she had a book to soothe her nerves. Something calming like _Alice in Wonderland _by Lewis Carroll or _The Phantom Tollbooth _by Norton Juster would be ideal in a situation like this. When the door finally swung open, Devon swallowed hard.

"H-Hi," she stammered. "C-Can I come in?"

"Oh…Hi, Devon." Jessica seemed puzzled at Devon's nervous chatter. "Sure. I was just brewing some hot tea. Do you want any?"

"N-No thanks."

Devon walked into the living room and seated herself on the couch. She cleared her throat as Jessica re-entered the room with a mug of hot chamomile tea in her hand and sat down in a chair opposite her.

"So what's up?"

"I…I have a…Well…"

_Spit it out!_ Devon's brain told her. _Don't just sit there like an idiot_.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Jessica." There. It was said.

Jessica sipped her tea. Her calmness and inquisitive stare were driving Devon crazy.

"What kind of favor?" she asked.

Devon took a deep breath. It wasn't like Jessica didn't know about her crush on Sigmund. After all, Jessica had kind of initiated it. Devon figured that Jessica would be more shocked if she _didn't _like Sigmund.

"I need you to get Sigmund to go on a date…"

"WHAT? Gross! No way!" Jessica scoffed. "You're crazy. I would never do that. Sigmund's such a jerk. Besides, I'm dating Kyle and you _know_ that!"

"I don't mean with you," Devon said softly. "I mean with me." She lowered her head and looked at her lap. There was a long pause.

"Oh," Jessica practically whispered. There was an awkward silence. "So…then…My plan worked? You like Sigmund?"

"A lot," Devon whimpered. For the first time in months, Devon felt tears slide down her face. She buried her head in her hands and started to cry. She didn't look up for a long time. Finally, she heard Jessica stir and felt an arm around her shoulder.

"I didn't know," Jessica said softly. "I didn't know you were hurting like this. Geez…It must've been really painful watching him pay so much attention to me. I didn't think about that."

Devon didn't say anything. She could hardly catch her breath between fresh sets of tears.

"Y'know what I'll do?" Jessica finally announced. "I'll call Kyle and ask him to come over. We'll put our heads together and come up with something. I wanna get rid of Sigmund and I can't think of a better way than to dump him off on someone else." She gave Devon a quick hug before running off to get the phone.

One phone call later, Kyle had come over as well. He was a bit edgier about Devon after the whole Sigmund fiasco. Honestly, Devon couldn't really blame him. She was dishonest, sneaky, and not a very good friend.

"Jessica, love," Kyle groaned when his girlfriend informed him of what was to be done, "why on Earth should we help _her_? She tried to break us up, remember?"

"I know, but I feel like it's my fault that she's in so much pain right now. Besides, if we help her, then Sigmund will be out of our hair. At least for a while. Maybe even forever if it ends up that he likes Devon back."

Kyle thought for a while. He looked at Devon suspiciously.

"I'm really sorry," Devon sighed. "I could say that I didn't mean to, but that would be a lie. I could say that I didn't know what I was doing, but that would be a lie too. All I can say is that I'm sorry and I really hope that you can forgive me."

There was another long silence as Kyle just looked at the girl who had almost ruined his relationship on multiple occasions. She looked sincere enough.

"Oh all right," he gave in. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, this is what I've got," Jessica smiled. "I call up Sigmund and tell him that I want to go on a date with him…"

"WAIT!" Kyle pouted. "There's _no_ way I'm letting you go out with that charlatan!"

"That's the plan, Kyle," Jessica continued. "Then, I'll take Devon along and tell Sigmund that she wanted to come along and talk like old times."

"He'll be furious," Kyle grumbled. "This will never work!"

"_Then_, about five minutes into the date, I'll excuse myself to go to the bathroom, sneak out the window, and leave Devon and Sigmund together."

"But won't Sigmund be more interested in where you have gone than in me?" Devon sniffed. "I mean, he _does_ like _you_ more."

"Don't remind me," Kyle moaned. "The last thing I need is for this blasted plan to go wrong and end up girlfriendless because of that show-off."

"It won't go wrong," Jessica promised. "Devon, you're a really interesting person. You're pretty, you're funny, and you're insanely smart. Just…get his mind off me. He'll forget all about his date with me and just be focused on you."

"That seems highly unlikely," Devon snorted. "I'm not _that_ interesting. All I know is books."

Kyle suddenly seemed to get an idea. He snapped his fingers and his face lit up.

"Do you know the Necronomicon? The ancient book of the dead? It's the wizard book I always carry around."

"I can't recite it forwards and backwards like some of my favorites," Devon shrugged. "But, yes, I read a little bit during the period of my life when I preferred you over Sigmund."

"Do you think you could impress him with tidbits of the text?" Kyle asked, producing the leather-bound book from his cape. "My beloved Jessica won't give him the time of day, but if you chat with him, especially about something he knows well, he might get sucked into the conversation."

"Not a bad idea, my boy," the book said.

"I dunno," Devon bit her lip. "It seems pretty flimsy. I'll need a backup plan."

"Be yourself!" Jessica shouted. "That's your backup plan! Trust me, you'll be fine. Now, I'm going to make that phone call. You study up on the Necronomicon. I'll be right back."


	10. Dating

"I really don't know about this, Jessica," Devon whimpered as her fingernails dug into the cover of the book she'd brought along for moral support (_Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ by J.K. Rowling, which was her favorite of the series). "So much could go wrong."

"It could," Jessica shrugged. "That doesn't mean it will." The two girls were getting ready for the date at Jessica's house and there could not have been more butterflies in Devon's stomach. "Now, I'm not going to dress up much. I don't want to attract any attention away from you. This is gonna work, Devon. I promise. Are you going to wear any makeup?"

Devon shook her head.

"I've already tried that. It doesn't feel right to me."

"I get that," Jessica smiled. "Makeup isn't for all people. What are you planning to wear?"

"Uh…This, I guess," Devon shrugged. She motioned to her maroon sweater, black jacket, jeans, and boots. "I've never been on a date before. Is this okay?"

"If it's you, it's okay," Jessica grinned. "I think you look great. Just maybe lose the jacket. You might be a little warm. Hm. Y'know, come to think of it, it would probably be kind of creepy to see you in a dress or skirt. For as long as I've known you, you've always worn pants. So that's probably the best thing to wear. First dates are all about first impressions. And you don't want to give a guy the wrong impression about what you're really like."

"Thanks, Jessica," Devon sighed as she stripped off her jacket and tossed it on Jessica's bed. "I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't decided to help me. This means a lot. I know you're only doing it to get Sigmund off your back, but…"

"Listen up, girl," Jessica said seriously, "I'm not just doing this to get rid of him. I'm doing it because you deserve to be happy. And if being with Sigmund is what's going to make you happy, then I'm going to help you catch his eye. Now we have to finish getting ready. He'll be here soon to pick us up."

Devon's stomach squirmed and she skimmed chapter five in her book.

When the doorbell rang, though, she felt strangely calm. Slowly, Devon reached behind her head and pulled her hair into a ponytail, determined that this time she would be noticed. Following Jessica into the living room and then to the front door, Devon pulled herself back into her cool shell.

"Hallo, _mein libeling_," Sigmund smiled as the door opened on him. "I'm so glad that you finally decided to dump Kyle the Constipator and date me instead." His eyes fell on Devon and for a second he was surprised. "Oh…Hallo, Devon," he spluttered. "I haven't seen you in simply _ages_. You look…" He paused and stared at both the girls. "You _both_ look…beautiful. But, Jessica, darling, why is Devon here? I thought you and I were going on a date."

"Oh, she just wanted to come along to talk. Y'know, old times and such."

"Well…okay," Sigmund said slowly as if trying to put two and two together. But he eventually gave up and offered his arm out to Jessica.

But Jessica gave Devon a surreptitious wink and dashed out the door, pretending not to see Sigmund's gentlemanly offer. Sigmund blinked after her, his arm still outstretched. When he looked back at Devon, his spine straightened and his elbow jutted out a bit farther.

Devon couldn't tell if Sigmund was simply afraid of looking like a fool by dropping his arm. But, she simply linked her arm around his and rested her fingertips on his wrist. It was cool and smooth like a pebble by a stream.

If she had thought about it, her heart would've started to race at the idea of having her arm entwined with his. But she was shielded by her cool exterior. And it appeared that Sigmund was under a similar cover. He didn't have any expression and stared straight ahead at Jessica as she lounged against the black limousine they were taking to the date.

"Shall we go?" he asked as he opened the door for Devon and Jessica. Jessica leapt into the car and settled in while Devon climbed in a little more slowly. She felt a little awkward, like Sigmund was staring at her.

When she settled and buckled up, the car lurched forward, causing Sigmund to tumble into Devon's lap.

If she had thought about it, her brain would have frozen in terror and her legs would have stiffened. But, since she was under that cool exterior, she simply took Sigmund's hand and helped him up.

"First step's a doozie," she quietly chuckled.

Sigmund stared at Devon for a few seconds before chuckling too and getting into his seat.

"_Ja_. Indeed."

The first few minutes of the drive were silent, but eventually Devon broke the silence by beginning a conversation.

"So, Sigmund, where is your next stop on your tour?"

"Oh…" Sigmund seemed to be yanked out of his thoughts. He blinked for a moment before answering. "Well, I'm going to France. Paris, actually."

"I've always wanted to go to Paris," Devon sighed airily. "I'd totally want to visit all the landmarks. Ever since I read _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ by Victor Hugo, I've been enchanted by the mythology of the city."

"Intriguing. So, Jessica, what made you decide to go on a date with me?"

Devon quieted down for a little bit, letting Sigmund and Jessica get into a conversation. She waited until Jessica looked like she was about to crawl out of her skin before butting back in.

"It looks like we're here at the restaurant," she smirked coolly. "Care to pile out? I'm starving."


	11. Ending

The restaurant was extremely fancy, which came as no surprise to Devon and Jessica. Sigmund slipped the __maître d___'hôtel _an extra twenty dollar bill to add an extra seat at the dinner table. Devon took this as a good sign since he wasn't kicking her out on her ear. Then again, she always knew that Sigmund had a gentleman's heart and would probably never dream of doing something so extremely rude.

When they came to the table, Sigmund seated Jessica with a flourish. Keeping her emotions in check, Devon seated herself and began pouring over a menu. She checked the time on her watch and calculated that Jessica would be leaving at about 7:35. She looked up and nodded to her friend who looked down at her watch under the table.

Then, right on cue…

"Excuse me for a moment," Jessica smiled as she stood up gracefully. "I have to use the little ladies' room."

"Take all the time you need, _mein libeling,_" Sigmund waved as Jessica walked off.

About ten minutes passed before Sigmund seemed to notice anything. He looked around and his eyes paused on the archway that led to the restrooms. When the food came, Sigmund began to think that something was fishy.

"She's taken a lot of time in the bathroom," he observed. He glanced over at Devon who was calmly twirling spaghetti around the prongs of her fork.

"Hm?" she hummed as she held the food up to her mouth.

"Jessica. In the bathroom," Sigmund repeated.

"Oh," Devon shrugged. She took the bite of food and chewed it carefully before swallowing. "Maybe she's having a bit of difficulty. I'm sure she'll be back eventually." She took a sip of her water and leaned on the table with her elbows. "I read a couple of passages from the Necronomicon recently."

Sigmund's attention snapped back to Devon.

"What?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Magic has intrigued me just as much as reading has. You remember how much I love to read, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Sigmund said. "I couldn't tear you away from your books sometimes."

"Yet you always managed it," Devon smirked.

"With promises of Kyle's affections," Sigmund finished for her. He stared down at his plate. What was happening to him? His face felt warm and his stomach turned at the sight of his food. "I'm sorry that didn't work out so well."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." She leaned back and picked a speck of lint off her sweater.

"You really look beautiful tonight, Devon." WOAH! Where did _that_ come from? Sigmund tried not to show the shock he felt at himself on his face. This translated to biting his lower lip slightly with his protruding teeth. Still, he tried to keep a straight face.

"Thanks," Devon smiled wryly. "You don't look too bad yourself."

This made Sigmund's ears grow hot and he quickly excused himself to go to the restroom. When he walked through the door, he leaned against the counter and looked at himself in the mirror. His pale complexion was growing slightly pink and the tips of his ears were bright red. He splashed some water on his face, hoping to cool down the process.

Back at the table, Devon let down her shell down for a few seconds. She bit her nails and stared at the archway where Sigmund had disappeared. She wished Jessica was there. She needed someone to talk to.

But she didn't have long to have this thought. She put her exterior back on as Sigmund came back and slid into his chair.

"Apologies, Devon," he said. "_Entschuldigung._"

"No problem," she replied. "When nature calls, one must answer."

"So we never really got to know each other that well," Sigmund bit his lip, planning his words carefully. "We were…rather tied up with business. Tell me about yourself."

Devon sipped her water and took another bite of spaghetti.

"Well, besides collecting books, what more is there to say?" she shrugged. "To be completely honest, I don't think I'm a very interesting person." Jessica would have cringed at the complete tear-down that Devon had just done to herself.

But, then Sigmund did something that even surprised himself.

He reached across the table and touched his fingers to Devon's hand.

"I think you're quite interesting," he said softly. "And I would like to learn more about you."

Devon looked at Sigmund's hand and then back to Sigmund's face. Was this really happening? Was it all a dream or was she awake? She felt her cool front start to melt a little at the willing touch of his hand.

"You do?"

"_Ja_," he whispered. "Very much."

"I…I…" Devon couldn't make any more words form. Her shield was gone and this was the raw girl beneath. The same girl that had broken down and cried at Jessica's house.

Sigmund could tell that the coolness of her actions had been an act. The dynamic change in Devon's behavior had made that much obvious. But he rather liked this girl who stared at him with such adoration in her eyes. He'd never seen such pure affection before. Never mind he "rather liked it." He liked it a _lot_.

"Shall we adjourn?" he asked quietly, rubbing his thumb softly over the back of Devon's hand. "I had a bit more arranged for this evening. I was originally planning to spend it with Jessica. But I think I'd rather spend it with you, _mein engel_."

The limousine drove to a hilltop that overlooked Galaxy Hills. Everything in town could be seen from the school, to the Frosty Mart, to the water tower where Fanboy and Chum Chum lived.

As Sigmund and Devon got out of the car, he wrapped his arm around her waist. He snapped his fingers and a blanket appeared on the ground for them to sit upon.

"How did you find this place?" Devon gasped in awe as she stared out over the town and then up at the tapestry of stars that wove itself above their heads. "It's like something out of a romance novel."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Sigmund smiled. He was silent for a few moments before asking the question he'd been dying to ask since he came back from the bathroom at the restaurant. "Devon, do you like me as much as I like you?"

Devon would have been caught off-guard, but she was too distracted looking at the stars. So her response came naturally.

"That depends. How much do you like me?"

Sigmund rested his chin on her shoulder so his mouth was inches away from her ear.

"I think I'm in love with you."

The words didn't really register to Devon until a few seconds later. Her mind went into overdrive trying to come up with an answer. Her logical side was screaming at her to come up with something witty and charming to win his affections. But, then, her emotional side said something possibly truer than her logical side could have ever come up with.

_You already have his affections. What do you feel?_

Devon turned her head to look at Sigmund. She stared at him for a few seconds before leaning forward and pressing her lips against his.

He reached one arm around her waist and the other arm crept up her back until he cradled the back of her neck in his palm.

Her arms reached up and rested on his chest while one of her hands lightly stroked his face with the lightest of butterfly touches.

_You can't judge a book by looking at the cover._

**THE END**


	12. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hey, gang! Comickazi13, here! Well, I hope you enjoyed my little story here. I'd like to thank Jessica12357 for letting me use her character Jessica and her universe.

Sigmund fan girls, eat your hearts out. ;)

Yours truly,

Comickazi13


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